Gaseous electric discharge device



June 11, 1935. M. PIRANI ET AL 2,004,585

GASEOUS ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed April 4, 1932 I l 9 1s 16 18 10INVENTORS ATTORNEY Patented June 11, 1935 GASEOUS ELECTRIG DISC MarcellolPirani, Berlin-Wilmersdorf, Hans Ewest,

. Berlin, and Georg Gaidies, Berlin-Pankow,

Germany, assignors to General Electric Gomn'any, a corporation of NewYork Application April 4, 1932, Serial No. scares In Germany April 15,1931 It is now known in the art that the starting of aseous electricdischarge devices is facilitated by the arrangement of an auxiliaryelectrode in the region of the main discharge supporting electrodeinsuch manner that an electric discharge takes place between them whichionizes the gaseous filling to facilitate the starting of the maindischarge in the device. The object of the present invention is to makethe starting of gaseous electric discharge devices equipped withauxiliary electrodes more positive and quicker than has been the caseheretofore. Still further objects and advantages attaching to theinvention and to its use and operation will be apparent to those skilledinithe art from the following particular description and from theappended claims.

In accordance with this object the invention comprises, in oneembodiment thereof, one or more electrically conducting members in thecontainer of an electric discharge device extending along the dischargepath between the main discharge supporting electrodes. One end of eachof said members is at a distance from one 30 of said electrodes equalto, or, preferably, less than the striking distance of the potentialapplied to said device. The striking distance is here defined as themaximum distance at which an electric discharge will strike between twodischarge supporting bodies at a given potential. Each of said membersis connected through a resistance to the main discharge supportingelectrode opposite that to which it is in close proximity; theelectrically conducting members thus act as auxiliary electrodes. Saidmembers are arranged inphysically parallel relation with respect to eachother and are separated a distance less than the striking distance ofthe potential applied thereto. When current of suitable potential isapplied to theterminals of the device three discharges are struck onebetween each of the main discharge supporting electrodes and the end ofthe auxiliary electrode .in close proximity thereto and one between theauxiliary electrodes themselves so that a multiplicity of dischargesoccur along the length of the discharge path between the main dischargesupporting electrodes to cause a quick and heavy ionization of thegaseous filling in the. container electrical conductors. named conductorare at a like distance from said of the device and the device is startedinto operation positively and quickly.

In another embodiment of the invention theelectrical conductors extendonly part way along the discharge path and another electrical con- 5;ductor is arranged parallel thereto and at a distance therefrom lessthan the striking distance of the potential applied to said'firstmentioned The ends of said'second electrodes. Said last named electricalconductor is not connected into the circuit. In this embodiment fourauxiliary discharges are struck along the discharge path between saidmain discharge supporting electrodes, one between each of said mainelectrodes and said second named discharge electricalconductor and onebetween each of said first named conductors and said. second namedconductor. This embodiment of the invention is used with greater poten-2o tials than the embodiment described above.

In the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification twoembodiments ofthe invention are illustrated in which Fig. 1 is a sideelevational view of one embodiment of the new and novel gaseous electricdischarge device, the circuit therefore being shown schematically andFig. 2 is a similar view of another embodiment of the invention.

Like numbers denote like parts in both figures.

Referring to Fig. 1 the new and novel electric discharge devicecomprises a container i filled with the usual discharge conductingatmosphere such as gases, gas mixtures, vapors, or a gas vapor mixture,said atmosphere is, for example, neon. Electrodes 3 are provided at eachend of said container l, and the in-leads 5 thereof are sealed intopinch-parts d of stems 2. Said inleads 5 are connected to the terminalsl' of an .40 alternating current source of 110 or 220 volts usual incommerce, by leads 6. The usual ballast resistance 8 is connected intoone of the leads 6.

Two conducting members 9 and iii arcsealed in said pinch parts 4 atopposite ends of the container i, said members extend along thedischarge path'between said electrodes 3 and the interior end of each ofsaid members 9 and it are at a distance from one of said electrodes 3less than the striking distance of the potential applied 5 to thedevice. Said members 9 and i0 are arranged in parallel positions in saidcontainer l-= and the distance between'them is less than" the strikingdistance of the potential applied thereto.

Each of said conducting members 9 and l 0 is con- 5 nected with one ofthe electrodes 3through a resistance II or I2 respectively. Said members9 and II] are supported in said container I by glass to support wires14, said support wires I4 being fused into the glass walls of saidcontainer I.

Upon the application of current to the terminals of the device threeglow discharges are struck along the main discharge path, onebetween-each of the electrodes 3 and the end of therespective'conducting members Bor III 'in close proximity thereto andone between-the electrical conducting members 9 and ,III. The maindischarge path is then occupied by a plurality of glow discharges whichcause a prolific emission of electrons and ions to ionize the gaseousfilling. When the gaseous filling is sufficiently ionized, whichtakesplace in a fraction of a minute, the main arc discharge is struckbetween the main electrodes 3.

The main electrodes 3, when desired, are of the self-heating sintered,pressedQmixture ofelectron emitting material and high melting pointmetal type disclosed in co-pending application Serial No. 377,044, filedJuly 9, 1929, the inventors being Marcello Pirani and Hans Ewest. Aspecial heating means is used when desired. Or, when.

desired-said electrodes are of the type disclosed in co-pendingapplication Serial No. 447,051, filed April 24, 1930, the inventorsbeing Georg Gaidies and Marcello Pirani. I

The embodiment of the'invention shown in Fig. 2 is inall respectssimilar to that shown in Fig. 1 except that conductors 9 and III are inlinear relation, the ends thereof being separated a greater distancethan the striking distance of the potential applied thereto and a thirdconducting member I6 is arranged insaid container I parallel to saidmembers 9 and I0 and at a distance less than the striking distance ofthe potential applied to said conductors 9 nd Ill.- The respective endsof conductor I6 areat a distance from said electrodes 3 less than thestriking distance of the potential. applied thereto. Said conductingmember I6 is not connected into the circuit. Said members 9, III and I6are supported in said container I by glass beads I1 and metal supportsI8 and the ends of said member I6 overlap the ends of said members 9'and I0.

When current is applied to the terminals of the device four glowdischarges are struck, one between each of the members 9 and I0 and themember I6, and one between each of the respective ends of said member I6and each of the electrodes 3; Thus in this embodiment the main dischargepath is more quickly and heavily ionized than in theembodiment shown inFig. 1 due to the greater number of discharges and the electricdischarge device is started into operation with greater facility.Further, due to the striking of four glow discharges during the startingoperation a higher potential may be used in conjunc tion with thisembodiment of the invention, for example, an operating potential 01300volts is use when desired. When desired a still higher voltage than 300volts is applied to the electric discharge device and in this casemember l6is those ends in close proximity to electrodes 3. beads I3fused to said conductors 9-and I0 and While we have shown and describedparticular stood of course that various substitutions, omissions andchanges, in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in itsuse and operation may be made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the broad spirit and scope of the invention, for example,said members9, I U and I6, are, when desired, coated with electronemitting material.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnitedStates is:-

1. An electric discharge device comprising a container, electrodessealed therein, a gaseous atmosphere therein, and at least onecontinuous electrically conducting member extending along the dischargepath between-said electrodes and coextensive with said path, said memberbeing connected through a resistance with one of said electrodes, theend or said member being located at a distance from the elect-rodeopposite that I to which is connected less than the striking discallyconducting members extending along the discharge path between saidelectrodes and in parallel positions, each of said members beingconnected through a resistance with one of said electrodes, one end ofeach of said members being adjacent one of said electrodes opposite thatto which said member is connected, the distance between said ends andsaidelectrodes and the distancebetween said members being less than' thestriking distance of the potential applied to said device. v r

3. An electric discharge: device comprising a container, electrodessealed therein, a gaseous atmosphere therein, and a plurality ofelectrically conducting members extending along the discharge pathbetween said electrodes, two of said members being mounted substantiallyinthe same line and one of said members being parallel thereto, each ofsaid first named members being 0011- nected through a resistance withone of said electrodes, the distance between said first named membersand said second named member, and the distance between the respectiveends of said second named member and said electrodes being less than thestriking distance applied to said device.

4. An electric discharge device comprising a of the potential container,main discharge supporting electrodes I sealed therein, a gaseousatmosphere sealed therein, and auxiliary electrodes sealed therein, saidauxiliary electrodes extending along the discharge path between saidmain discharge supporting electrodes, the ends of said auxiliaryelectrodes overlapping along said path.

MARCEILO PlIRANI. HANS EWEST. GEORG GAIDIES.

